Esta Semana 1-26-15



Amigos e Familia,

Eu vou tentar para falar um pouco em Português. Então, Michael, Sarah, e Steve vão estar as únicas pessoas que vai entender sem ajuda de tradutor! Ta bom?

Nah just messin’. 

Well this week was good. Our baptism fell through because we didn’t realize that she was leaving for Floripa the Saturday this week. So we couldn’t baptize her this week, but we have planned to baptize her when she returns. So that should be good. But! If I get transferred I would be a little upset with that....

Anyway. Other then that we found two people who seem to have a lot of interest in the church and we are teaching them. We hope that they will keep the commitments and get baptized!

Marlo is a Journalist who is like 30 and single.

Aline is a daughter in law of the primary president and she is now a widow. Sad.... But it gave us a real nice window to talk about the gospel because of her loss. She is very interested that families can be together forever.

Other then that David and Andre are not progressing so we are working with them to have to desire to do the things they need to do to be baptized..

They sent our phone today so we should get that this week, then we will order gas for the oven and be back in business!

Other then that we are about the same. Lots of rain here and we are not staying very dry so that is unfortunate. Oh well. Missionary life.

 

 

Thanks for the letters I got last week! I got one from BOB CLARK THE LEGEND​,

One from the Smiths, and one from Pres Bernt and one other that I don’t remember right now.

That’s about it this week. Love all you guys and I hope to hear more about some adventures there next week!

Love you guys!

Elder George

 

One of my self motivational pages in my planner....

 

Oh! Mom asked me to share a few words about a Gospel Principle and I almost forgot!

Well, before my mission I never really took prayer seriously. I always thought "Lets get this done 'm freakin' hungry!" When I left though, I found myself without anything I knew and completely alone. I read in the scriptures that day about the power of prayer and thought " I'll give that a try for real."

So I did. I can now say that Prayer has influenced my life more than I can explain. I have received so much more comfort then ever and now I can say that you are never really alone. I love this gospel and I love all of you. Thank you for your prayers on my behalf and your support. I can never repay that.

Thank you for everything

Elder George

 

 

PS This is a custom scripture case I had made in the MTC! Super nice and will last forever. Thought people might be interested!

TEMOS UM BATISMO DATA!!!!! January 19, 2015

Well as you can see by the title we have a baptism scheduled for this week! It is a middle aged women who found the gospel and knows the church is true. So we will see if that works out! The baptism is scheduled for Friday, so I'll let you guys know next week! David’s visit was not great. He didn’t even try to ask his dad about being baptized. Raquel has a batismo date! But we probably won’t be able to do it this transfer. She is leaving on Saturday and won’t be back until the 8th of Feb. Andre is trying to quit smoking... Not having too much success. Our 2 investigators aren't really progressing. They are having hard time keeping commitments. So we are trying to express to them how important they are. I'll let you know how that goes!

So about transfers: We get the call on the 30th. The next transfer starts one the 2nd. They call you on the 30th with the new assignments, and then you travel, if necessary. We start packing and usually you start traveling the next Monday.

As far as the water situation from last week is, WE HAVE WATER AGAIN! Showering daily is happening again. :) Thank goodness... I was dying everyday.... the stove we haven’t gotten figured out because we still don’t have a phone yet. How do we get transfer calls without a phone? EXACTLY! They claim to be sending one to us today and should be here on Wednesday. The secretaries handle all of that. The president knows, but he doesn’t deal with that.

It’s been POURING rain for like the whole week. Well, the rain here isn’t like rain in the states. The rain he is like pouring a bucket on you ALL the time. So Umbrellas don’t keep you dry. Mine actually broke a bit... So we can’t do much when it rains like that. The waterproof bag still gets pretty wet too, just because of the sheer amount of water. My scriptures are kinda getting wet. I was gonna get some new ones anyways because the MTC gave us the absolute cheapest. I want some with the leather because they hold up better. A member is gonna go to the temple and get them for me. I'll give them money to buy them. I will send you a picture of the scripture cover I had made in the CTM, but it is for my English scriptures so I don’t use it every day.

Everything ON me is good. No pain, no soreness anymore in my toe, back, or feet. I think my back was just sore from the bag. But it got stronger. I'm doing pushups like crazy. ;-) I also have a 6-pack now ;) As far as homesickness, that is getting better too. I don't miss it as much because I can understand better. The language is getting better. I don't have to ask Elder Badger NEARLY as much.

Other stuff, we had Entrevistas com presidente da missão também. That was good. We had a good doctrine ceonversation and about life as well. So that was good! Interviews are 15 minutes long. It's only longer if you have questions.

I received a card from Mrs. Hunter and a card from Grandma George with some money. I appreciate it so much! Unfortunately, American money here in our area and really anywhere without an international airport is as good as firewood. The Visa gift card was really helpful. I should get some more mail next transfer because we don’t have another conference til then. I haven’t gotten any other packages or mail... I haven’t gotten anything from Gram or the cereal you ordered. :( Or the guitar picks mom sent. The cereal could come next transfer, because of the Christmas season. I got mom's latest package with all the food and stuff, but that’s it this transfer, other than letters.

Other stuff, Thats about it.... Thanks for all the support these weeks It really means a lot. Sorry its so short this week but not much happened here... Last week was a lot more interesting then this one. Well, I love you guys and I hope you all have a boa semana!

Com Amor, Elder George

1-12-15 One More Week Down

Elders in our District

Friends and Family,

This week was a little more interesting then the one before and I will go over why!

So third world countries are fun places! Health is good. Hygiene is a different story..... We haven’t had ANY water in our apartment since Friday! So showering hasn’t happened since then or clean clothes! YAY!!!! Thank goodness we are going to Laguna tomorrow. At least they have showers there! We are gonna take laundry to Laguna tomorrow and wash stuff there! :D Thank goodness. When we travel, We usually take our carry-ons so that should be fine. Also I will use the polka dot laundry bag so it’s not awkward on the bus :) So that was fun to experience this week....

I have been wearing my glasses. I LOVE THEM. They make conferences so much easier, because they often have a white board that they write stuff and often times I can’t see what they´ve written. Last week we had a Zone meeting in Tuberão. It was originally going to be in Criciúma, but Pres. Silva decided that missionaries can no longer sleep in a different apartment before meetings anymore. So when we got to Laguna to get our connecting bus to Criciúma, the other elders there told that we would be staying there til the next day when the meeting was in Tuberão. The only people that can sleep in a different apartment is us because of the bus schedule in Imaruí. So that was a surprise. In total we were on a bus for 2 and a half hours. Not too bad. When we take those buses they’re usually filled with people who already know that your missionaries and generally avoid you. It’s kinda funny. The meeting there was fine. We got 2 new zone leader this transfer so that was a little bit of a waste of time....

Pastels?

Lessons with investigators were really good this week! We had a lesson with David and he is gonna ask his dad if he can be baptized this week! So that could be really good! We also had a lesson with Andre who has had a really hard time with not smoking and We asked if he wanted a blessing and he said sure so  we did! I was the voice and I could actually speak what I was feeling in Portuguese! "I" definitely did not say anything. It definitely all The Spirit.  So that was awesome.

Other stuff that happened was we ran out of gas in our oven so we have had to use the church oven and stuff... We were gonna call and get more but our phone is broken so basically everything bad that can happen to the house did this week :) YAY!!!!!!

Other than that everyone, Nothing else new! Love you guys and I hope that you guys have a great week!

Elder George

January 5, 2015 First Week of the Year!

 

Well everyone, this is now 2015. Isn't that weird to say? It is to me. So lets get to some stuff this week.

So New Years got crazy. Lots of drunk people in a small town. So that was weird. But here there's fireworks, alcohol, and food that is the same as everyday. So that wasn't that interesting but oh well. Fireworks were generic and loud and annoying. So that was not as fun. Other then that its about the same as it is at home.

We had our first lunch (Rice beans and chicken or beef) of the year at a members house and we took a picture with their grandkids cause of the shirts they were wearing. So that was fun! Spiritual experience was rather humbling this week. I had the opportunity to bless the sacrament for the first time in our branch. I messed up the bread prayer 3 times... I had to repeat it 3 times! So that was a real eye opener that I'm not fluent. That was a humbling experience. But I felt the spirit telling me it was okay. That was unique.

We had two lessons this whole week so that wasn't too interesting and there isn't anything to report there!

Investigators are the same as well! Just got through the holidays and so this next week will be more interesting in the email. I love you guys and I'm grateful for everything you've done for me!

Love you guys!

Elder George

 

We caught this sucker downstairs IN the apartment! It was AWESOME! 



December 29, 2014



Florianopolis Bridge -taken at the mission office during the "Toe Repair Trip"

Well the week after is certainly not as exciting. OR IS IT!?

 

So interesting story for the week is this. On Christmas, I discovered and ingrown toenail developing. Didn't think much of it 'til the next day when it was FLAMING red and hurt like crazy! We called Sister Silva (The President's wife)  to get an appointement with the doctor in Florianopolis and we went the next day. When we got to the mission office, waiting for me were 4 letters and a package! I wouldn't have recieved it for another 2 weeks had that toe not freaked out on me. Blessing in disguise? I THINK SO! So that was fun. Kinda.

 

 

Soda Habit

 

As far as lessons that were interesting, we are teaching a 22 year old named Andre. He smokes 2 packs a day, and knows he shouldn't. We teach him every week usually and he wants to be baptized but knows he has to quit smoking first. He understands the gospel, has a testimony and comes to church. During one lesson we offered to give him a blessing and he said that we could after we all fasted together last saturday. We meet with him tomorrow to see how he is doing.

 

On Christmas eve we went to the Branch Presidents house to have lunch. They invited us to stay and watch movies with them and you know how disrespectful it is to turn someone down here so we agreed. We ended up watching 5 movies! So that was different! Especially since all of them were in Portuguese! They fed us like we never had been fed before also. I felt like I would explode because of Lunch, Lanche, Dinner, and Desert! It was so much food! So that was awesome!

 

 

Talking to our families this week was good as well! Really good to actually talk to them! Good to catch up and it was way more efficient then typing out all these emails. So that was nice as well.

 

Spiritual experiences were great this week! The most was actually with my family! Before now I had never shed a tear during a testimony! Now its like I can't NOT shed one during a testimony! ITs ridiculous! I've turned into my mother! ;) Not that that's a bad thing! ;)

 

Well everyone, Its about time to wrap it up this week. I'm grateful for your prayers, support, and letters/cards. They mean a lot to me. Love you guys.

Elder George

 

The Week of Christmas - December 22, 2014

 

Well everyone, this is it! Finally the season we wait all year for. The day of the birth of the most important person ever is almost here. This week, I'd like everyone to remember him everyday and do things how he would have done them. Really give all your effort to do this. Don't let the passing of this season stop you either! Think of ways to be like Christ all year long. Love others as he did.

As for this week, the work is just as hard as it was last week. We are staying a little busier so that makes time pass faster. We have the same investigators as last week and we are trying to prepare them for baptism but thats a slow process. So thats what we are doing right now.

We had some parties for Christmas this week and that was fun. Different, but fun since it's summer here. 

 

Other then that, Christmas is this week and everyone is super pumped in the district. Should be really good.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and fasting on my behalf. I feel their power in my life and so I am grateful for that.

One more interesting thing this week. Shortening, like for cooking, is different here then it is in the US. It is WAY more concentrated then it is there-so making cookies with the same amount kinda makes them weird.... Fun fact!

Love everyone there! Hope you all have a great holiday!

Elder George



Thanksgiving Day-November 27, 2014

"Abridged" from a letter written to "Mom:"


Today was my first real holiday away from home. I missed the family and the food SO MUCH! Thanksgiving was one of my favorite holidays and now I don't have it. But I have that stuffing (you sent) that will try and make tomorrow! That'll be sooo good. The elders in our district celebrated though. We went to a rodizio of pizza last night! A rodizio is like a pizza buffet if you don't know. So that was fun. That pizza was good. Way different than the U. S. but everything is.

New stuff? We had a conf. with the area Pres. this week, Elder Costa. From what I could understand it was good. Didn't get much from it. Mostly I read my scriptures for the majority of the time. So, that was the spiritual highlight this week.

Weird thing I've eaten? Today for lunch we had fish. Like the whole fish. I saw fried fish head on the serving plate. Kinda gross....So I ate the middle pieces..... :-)

Other then that, it's getting hotter her as it gets colder there. I miss snow! And carpet. They don't have that here! It doesn't exist! Never thought I'd miss carpet. But I do! Oh well, I'll get used to it......

And now to close mine epistle. I am Elder George. I have embarked on this journey to testify that Jesus is the Christ, that God lives, and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I testify that these things are true. I now pass these writings to my mother who will "abridge" them into a book for my posterity. And now I end my writings....

God knows our struggles. He helps with them every day.
Deven